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TRUE grit: nothing was going to stop Jon Hargreaves from competing in the marathon
Blind to obstacles put in his way
9/ 4/2008
MARATHON man Jon Hargreaves lost an eye after he was shot with an air rifle at the age of 12.
Despite the setback he has battled back to become a successful Droylsden businessman with a bulging property portfolio to boot.
Now he has set his sights on completing the London Marathon in aid of national deafblind charity Sense.
Although he only started running seriously two years ago, the gruelling 26-mile course holds no fears for him.
Jon, 36, said: "Although I work in Droylsden I live in the city centre. The only exercise I used to get was strolling down to the bars. I took up running a couple of years ago after putting on a few pounds. I quickly shed the weight but soon I was addicted. I couldn’t run for five minutes at first. Last week I ran for five hours. It’s amazing what you can train your body to endure. I built up up my distances and was soon running 10k. After that I set my sights on the marathon and once that happens I have to achieve my goal."
He hopes a carbohydrate-packed breakfast on Sunday morning will give him enough energy for the trip.
"I’ll have a bowl of porridge in the morning and a couple of eggs," he added."I’ve done all the prep now so I feel in good shape. I just hope I make it."
Jon can be sponsored by calling 07796 953280.
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